Self-acting drain for steam or water mains and pipes



(No Model@ l. y T. J. RICHARDS.

, SELF ACTING DRAINv POR STEAM 0R WATER MAINS,V AND PIPBS.

No. 369,032. Y Patented Aug. 3o, 1887.

t? lr hun A Ligar-ey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J.. RICHARDS, `OF PITTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-ACTING DRAIN FOR STEAM OR WATER MAINS AND PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369032, dated August 30, 1887.

Application filed January 3, 1887. Serial No. 223,185. (No model.)

To ad whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs J. Rrcnlinns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsville, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Self-Acting Drains for Steam or Water Mains and Pipes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a detail View of a portion of a line of steam-pipe, with the valve end thereof in section; and Fig. 2, a detail view of the valve and its connections.

The present invention is to provide a self- .acting drain for steam .or water mains; and

it consistsv in the peculiar combinations and the -novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, substantially as shown in the drawings, and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the usual coupling for connecting the several sections of pipe together; and B Crepresent two sections of pipe connected together and to the coupling by screw-threads in the usual manner.

The outer extremity of the pipe-section C- is provided with interior screw-threads for attaching thereto a valveseat, D, said seat having an inwardly-proj ecting flange, a, formed upon its exterior and interior with suitable screw-threads for connecting it to the pipesection C, and also providing means for atiaching to the flange an exterior .screwthreaded sleeve, E, the valve-seat also having an annular stop, b, which abuts against the edge of the pipe-section5or, if preferred, this stop may be dispensed with. The sleeve Eis provided with an inwardly-projecting cage, F, in which is located a valve, G, and the sleeve is also provided with an annular shoulder, c, which abuts against the interior edge of the flange a, thesestops preventing the valveseat and sleeve from being screwed too far into their respective couplings. As will 5o be seen, the valve and its connection are ar- Ainder. n -and the steam is turned on, there will be a ranged horizontally on a line with the main,

and before steam is turned on the ball-valve rests in the basket, as shown. When the steamis turned on, the pressure thereof w1ll force the ball against the seat D and shut off the valve-opening,.thus automatically draining itself. IVhen used in connection with a condensed-water discharger, the operation is similar, only the valve and its attachments are connected to the main at the far end thereof, near the engine, in order to keep the water from passing into and through the cyl- In winter, when the pipes are cold considerableV condensation and consequent water ahead of the steam by the time it gets to the engine. This water will discharge itself through the valve-opening without moving the ball-valve, as ittravels so much faster, afterrwhich the pressure of the steam against the valve will forceit to its seat and the steam again shut oft'.

Ido not seek to cover, broadly, an automatically-operating valve in this connection, as I am aware that such has heretofore been used.

' Having nowv fully described my invention, what I claim as new, andl desire to secure by Letters Patent, .is-M

1. The combination, with the pipe-section, of the lvalve seat D, attached thereto and and the sleeve E, provided with threads engaging the threads of the seat, the inwardlyprojecting cage F, secured to said sleeve, and the ball-valve G within said cage, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

formed with screw-threaded annular flange,

2. The combination, with the pipesection C, provided with interior threads, and the valve-seat D,formed with inwardly-projecting flange a, eXteriorly and interiorly threaded and screwed to said pipe section, and also formed with stop b, of the sleeve E, having IOO exterior threads engaging the interior threads In testimony that I claim the above have of the seat, and formed with annular shoulhereunto subscribed my name in the presence der c, the Wire cage projecting inwardly from of two witnesses.

said s1eeve,and the ba11valve G,1oose1y THOMAS J. RICHARDS. 5 arranged within said cage, all substantially Witnesses:

as shown and described, and for the purpose TOM I-IAURATTY,

specified. FRANK BA'r'rrN. 

